Be Green Packaging Releases its 2011 Sustainability Report

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) SANTA BARBARA, CA - November 16, 2011 - Be Green Packaging today announced the release of its 2011 Sustainability Report.  The document is an annual report that systematically tracks the company’s progress towards innovative social, environmental, and economic goals.  Be Green's internal sustainability goals are based on the triple bottom line philosophy, which is a holistic paradigm for measuring organizational success.  This method of internal accounting places environmental stewardship and social responsibility on an equal footing with profitability in terms of overall importance to the organizations bottom line.  The company, which manufactures compostable and recyclable packaging from renewable plant fibers, has maintained a strong commitment to the principles of sustainability since its inception in early 2007.

Download the report here: 2011 Sustainability Report

This years report covers the progress attained during the preceding (2009-2010) fiscal year.  In this period, the company reported improvement in nearly all of the 20 different parameters measured covering social, environmental, and economic goals.  Steps taken this past year include the hiring of independent, 3rd-party organizations such as AIB (American Institute of Baking) and Intertek to conduct internal food safety and workplace conditions audits and the reduction of shipping waste by switching to 100% post-consumer recycled cartons, among others.  The company is currently working towards various long-term goals such as achieving zero-net carbon emissions from production, expanding its eco-advisory board, and acquiring additional environmental and social/workplace responsibility certifications from various independent organizations.

"This report is a way for us to integrate internal operations and external sales and marketing,” stated Megan Havrda, Chairwoman of Be Green's Eco-Advisory Board. "We hope that it will provide the public with a comprehensive understanding of our company's values and efforts to adhere to and further the triple bottom line philosophy in our industry."

In July of this year, Be Green announced that it would be opening the first plant fiber packaging manufacturing facility in the United States in Ridgeland, South Carolina.  Governor Nikki Haley and Senator Clemente Pinckney made a visit to the 90,000-sq. ft. facility to welcome the company to the state and acknowledge the significant green job creation efforts that will accompany the plants’ development.

As of Sept. 1st, 2011, warehousing and distribution operations have begun, with manufacturing operations expected to begin Quarter I 2012.  CEO Ron Blitzer's vision for the plant includes extensive sourcing of pulp from the local farms and suppliers in the surrounding communities and efforts to make the facility as close to 100% waste-free as possible.  Data from the upcoming plant will be integrated into Be Green's upcoming 2012 Sustainability Report.

Be Green Packaging LLC, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., manufactures and distributes Cradle to Cradle^cm certified, tree-free, compostable packaging for the food and consumer packaging industries. The company’s products are made from annually renewable plant fibers that are safe for people and healthy for the planet. For more information about the company, please visit www.begreenpackaging.com.

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